Woman Stabbed With Needle In Birmingham

DETECTIVES have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to after a woman was stabbed with a needle while on a night out in Birmingham.

The 20-year-old had just left Bliss nightclub in Broad Street and was walking towards Granville Street when she was stabbed twice to the thigh and buttock by a man wielding what appeared to be a hypodermic needle.

The man walked off following the incident which happened at around 3am on Sunday 23 June.

She was taken to hospital following the attack and while only suffering minor injuries she will undergo months of medical testing to ensure it has no long lasting effect on her health.

The attacker is described as Asian, aged in his early 20s, light skinned and of skinny build. He was wearing blue or black jeans, a distinctive long jacket and a baseball cap.

Officers also want to speak to a second man who was in the area at the time and may have information about what happened. He is described as white, aged in his 30s, of medium build, bald and around 6ft tall. He was wearing a blue jumper.

Detective Constable James Cull, from Force CID, said: "This was a completely unprovoked attack which happened as an innocent woman was about to make her way home from a night out in the city.

"Although the initial injuries were minor she is now facing the traumatic prospect of months of medical tests to ensure she hasn’t contracted any illness from the needle.

"We have been working tirelessly to identify the person responsible and would ask everyone to take a long look at the CCTV image and call us if you recognise the man pictured."

Inspector Stuart Bill, who oversees policing in Birmingham city centre, added: "While this incident is clearly extremely worrying for the victim, we believe this was an isolated attack and it is very rare for us to receive reports like this.

Anyone who recognises the man in the image should contact detectives on 101 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.